John Maxwell

John is the Asia Head of Energy and Infrastructure, leading a team described as ‘one of the best in the market’, and that was awarded Legal Advisor of the Year at the IJ Global APAC Awards 2021.

John advises sponsors, lenders and export credit agencies on the development and financing of, and acquisitions in, world-scale and or new-market energy and infrastructure projects throughout the world, including offshore wind, LNG, petrochemical as well as conventional power projects. His experience also includes cross-border rail and large-scale infrastructure projects. 

John is recognised in Chambers and Legal 500 as a leader in his field, with clients and peers commenting that ‘He's very commercial and brings senior-level advisory experience to a matter’.

Work highlights

John’s recent experience includes advising:

• the sponsors on the financing of the 1GW+ Hai Long 2 & 3 offshore wind farm projects in Taiwan.
• Ørsted A/S on the strategic partnership with Tokyo Electric Power Company to establish a joint venture company, with the intention to bid for the expected public auction for an offshore wind power project in Choshi area, Chiba prefecture in Japan.
• K-SURE and NEXI on the c.US$3bn 589 MW Changfang and Xidao offshore wind farm in Taiwan. This transaction was named “Project Finance Deal of the Year” by FinanceAsia Achievement Awards 2020 (among others).
• Marubeni on the ¥100bn offshore wind project in Akita, the first commercial scale offshore wind project in Japan. This transaction was named “Innovation Deal of the Year” by PFI Awards 2020.
• an offshore wind developer on the Round 2 offshore wind auctions in Japan.
• the lenders supporting the bid on one of the Round 1 fixed bottom offshore wind projects in Japan.
• the commercial banks on the project financing of the 1,400MW Hin Kong gas-fired independent power plant in Thailand. This transaction was named “APAC Power Deal of the Year” by PFI Awards 2022. 
• Asian Development Bank, Japan Bank for International Cooperation and commercial banks on the US$1.366bn financing of the Gulf PD 2500MW IPP. This transaction was named “Asia Power Deal of the Year” by PFI Awards 2019.

• 2019 to date: Asia Head of Energy and Infrastructure 
• 2012 – 2020: Managing Partner, Tokyo
• 2010 – 2012: Partner, Projects Group, Linklaters, London
• 2004 – 2009: Partner, Projects Group, Linklaters, Hong Kong
• 1996 – 2004: Associate, Linklaters, London
• 1994 – 1996: Trainee Solicitor, Linklaters

John has also experience advising

• the Japanese-led consortium on its bid for the Equis Asia-Pacific renewables portfolio
• the sponsors on the development and c.$1bn ECA financing of an LNG receiving terminal in Indonesia
• Sonnedix, and commercial banks, on several solar project financings including the Oita, Sano and Nagi PV projects in Japan
• Shortlisted international bidders for each of the Fukuoka and Hokkaido airport privatisations
• JBIC, NEXI, K-SURE and commercial banks on the proposed c.US$1bn financing of the Morupule B Units 5-6 IPP in Botswana
• the project sponsors (including Mitsui & Co. and Mitsubishi Corporation) on the US$20bn Sakhalin II LNG project